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Monday, February 7, 2011

Oreo Truffles for Valentine's Day

I learned to make these the other night and if you like Oreos you will love them. The recipe is simple and comes from a great baking blog called Bakerella. Check it out here then come back for my tips.

I used regular Oreos, but mint Oreos or peanut butter Oreos would be great too.

I don't like using “bark” or candy melts for dipping. I used 2 cups (1 package) of Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips melted in the microwave with 4 teaspoons Spectrum organic non-hydrogenated shortening. This makes the chocolate a bit softer (like bark) when hardened so that it doesn't crack all over the place when you bite into it. The is the same mix I use for chocolate-covered strawberries.

You can pulse the cookies in the food processor to the right texture, then mix the softened cream cheese in by hand with a sturdy spoon. I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla just because I love vanilla.

I used my cookie scoop to portion out the “dough” and then rolled each one by hand to smooth it out. I set them on a waxed paper- lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple hours to make dipping easier.

A fork works better than a spoon for dipping. It allows the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Scrape the bottom of the tines against the side of the bowl to avoid a puddle on the bottom of each truffle. Use a cake tester or toothpick to gently scoot the dipped truffle off the fork and onto the waxed paper. The frozen balls help the chocolate set up quickly, but you can cover the tray and put it in the frig if you're in a big hurry.

I had a tiny bit of white chocolate on hand so I melted it and used it to decorate the tops of the dipped truffles Jackson Pollock-style by dipping a spoon in and frantically shaking it back and forth over the tops. You could also use candy hearts or sprinkles.

When the truffles are set put each one in a paper or foil cup and arrange them in a pretty box for gift-giving. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve or give away.

Any extra dipping mix can be refrigerated and remelted to use again. It's also great for dipping dried cherries, nuts, pretzels, and a ripe banana is perfect for cleaning out the bowl.